I Dream of Coloured Inks

Published: May 10th, 2017

When technology gets in the way, I will be among the first to share my frustration. When technology makes my life easier, I'm happy to reap the benefits. When technology makes my life more beautiful, I sometimes have to stop and think. Is this really a good thing?

What about when a computer is programmed to collaborate with an artist? That's not just innovative, it's actually somewhat scandalous. I mean that in the sense that we so rarely see the purest form of musical art standing on its own any more. Technology is the accompaniment of choice, today, but will it sing the melodies of tomorrow?

In the work, I Dream of Coloured Inks by Dr. Michael Rothkopf, a computer program (Max) to manipulate three practical light sources in symmetry using a sequence that listens and responds to the music that it "hears."

Krisztina Der and Sarah Busman performed this piece with an incredible sensitivity to the concept. So much of their melody is improvisatory and yet, so deliberate. More than anything else, the visual component is so perfectly paired with the aural elements. I loved editing this video. Seeing the transitions between colors occur simultaneously on three different cameras still gives me really good feelings.

I'll leave you with this: the three panels behind the performers are complemented by the clothing that Krisztina and Sarah are wearing. The colors bleed into every shadow and blend into one another on every edge. Every sound that we hear is also interpreted by an unfeeling automated device that nevertheless enhances our experience with beautiful coloured ink.